Analysis For Israel, Lebanon deal 'historic' despite fears Hezbollah will rebuild While the deal with Lebanon allows the Israeli military to maintain a presence there, security experts warn that it also gives the weakened Hezbollah the time it needs to recover. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
3 IRGC members killed in twin attacks as Iran intensifies Kurdish crackdown At least three members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in separate armed attacks across Iran, including one in western Iran near the border with Iraqi Kurdistan, where authorities have intensified their crackdown on Kurdish groups. Iran
Oman's sultan meets Macron in first France visit since 1989: What to know French President Emmanuel Macron has been pushing against any form of toll for the Strait of Hormuz. Iran
Traffic plummets through Strait of Hormuz after Iran, US trade fire Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz had recovered somewhat before renewed fighting between Iran and the United States saw traffic drop sharply over the weekend. Iran
Analysis Vance turning us into 'punching bag': Israel fumes over alleged IRGC-CENTCOM channel in Doha By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Is Russia a better fit than the EU to help relieve Iran from sanctions? While Iran would prefer EU help when it comes to relief from US sanctions, Moscow might be better suited to this role than Europeans. United States
Iran's Soleimani continues war of words with Trump The head of Iran’s Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, responded to President Donald Trump’s tweet threatening Iran. Yemen
Iran maneuvers to protect its interests in Syria Iran’s strategy on Syria enters a more proactive phase as the Islamic Republic maneuvers to keep its interests, including its partnership with Russia, intact. Syria
Is ‘national reconciliation’ Iran's key weapon to win economic war? A top pro-reform official in Iran said national unity and reconciliation are in the making to defuse the US-led economic pressure and media war against the country. Iran
Khamenei adviser’s Moscow visit stirs foreign policy debate in Iran The lack of transparency surrounding Ayatollah Khamenei’s foreign policy adviser’s recent trip to Russia, including his announcement of a major deal for Russian investment, has caused heated debate among Iranians. Russia
Will Iran, Russia step up energy cooperation to blunt US sanctions? Amid rising US pressure, Tehran and Moscow might be on the cusp of a new era of economic cooperation, particularly in the energy sector. Russia
Khamenei: Iran must expand ties with East as well as West In a meeting with members of the Cabinet, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emphasized the need for Iran to expand ties with both Eastern and Western nations. United States
Mideast risks escalation as Iran ponders response to US Rather than looking for a graceful exit from the region, Iran could escalate tensions in response to rising US pressure. United States
Khamenei adviser says Russia to replace Western investors As Western firms begin to exit Iran, one of Iran’s top officials travels to Russia. Iran
Congress wants VOA to take hard line on Iran Accusing US-funded media like Voice of America of being too soft on Iran, Congress and the Donald Trump administration seek to exert more control over its Persian-language news services. Congress
Why Iran's president won’t close strategic Strait of Hormuz While Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s implicit threat to close the Strait of Hormuz has made headlines around the world, the real aim of his remarks appears to be domestic politicking. Iran
How Trump is uniting Rouhani and Iran's Revolutionary Guards In a dramatic move, Quds Force commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani has publicly praised Iranian President Hassan Rouhani over his toughened rhetoric against the United States and Israel. United States